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As most of you have probably already noticed that this week has been pretty cold. So here is an article that I found, which I believe will be very helpful to you.

Winter is here and that means rain (Yay!) and cold temperatures. When the temperatures drop, here are a few things that car owners should be aware of for safety’s sake.

Tire pressure may drop on cold days and your tire pressure sensors may say you have a flat. Chances are high that the air inside your tire is compressed, so stop by any gas station and make sure you refill to the proper amount of air in your tires.

Speaking of tires, how is your tread? If your tires are worn or balding, avoid dangerous hydroplaning and bring your vehicle in for a new set of tires.

Make sure all your lights are working. In wintertime, most of us spend more time driving to and from work in the dark. Be sure your license plate light, tail lights, head lights, interior lights, and other safety lights are operating properly.

Be sure your antifreeze levels are where they should be. Antifreeze prevents pipes from bursting due to expansion when water freezes. Having plenty of antifreeze is a simple and affordable way to protect your automotive engine.

Carry a bright flashlight inside your vehicle. If you get a flat tire at night, you’ll need a bright light to help you see what you’re doing. A lot of people resort to the flashlight apps on their smartphones, but all too often the battery quickly gets drained, and the light is not bright enough. Besides, carrying a bright flashlight will serve you well on multiple occasions.

We are here to help you all, so if you have any concerns or just not sure if your car is safe this winter, do come and visit our workshop – 2 Saville Road, Peterborough, PE3 7PR or give us a call on – 01733 687101.

Good Morning, thanks for visiting my blog, this morning as you know was very foggy, so I thought its my responsibility to let you know on any tips or tricks in driving in the fog. Below is an article that I found which I think you will find very interesting.

Driving safely on today’s roads demands more skill and better judgment than ever before, especially under hostile weather conditions. Here we concentrate on the challenge of fog. This dangerous meteorological condition emerges most often in spring and autumn. As always, the familiar plea from auto clubs, experts, and law enforcement organizations not to drive too fast or too close must be heeded.

Driving in heavy fog is like driving with a blindfold on. Statistically it’s the most dangerous driving hazard in existence. No matter how important the trip is, it’s not worth gambling your life. By far the safest thing to do if you run into fog is to move well off the road and wait for the fog to lift. However, the simple and safe solution is not always the most practical, so read on to find out what driving procedures should be followed in fog.

When driving in fog, reduce your speed and turn on your headlights. Think about how far they can see and how long it will take you to stop. Keep an eye on your speedometer. Studies show that some drivers acclimate themselves to foggy conditions and unconsciously increase their speed over time. Make sure that you can be seen. Turn on your fog lights, and make sure your high beams aren’t turned on by accident. High beams direct light up into the fog, making it difficult for you to see. Low beams direct light down onto the road and help other drivers to see you. Most European cars have a switch that turns on extra-bright auxiliary rear fog lamps. American and Asian vehicles lack this important safety feature. Don’t rely on your parking lights alone: they do little to increase your visibility in daytime fog. Don’t use your emergency flasher. Studies have shown that drivers are attracted to flashing lights and tend to drive into them inadvertently.

Whatever you do, don’t turn off your headlights in heavy fog, even if they interfere with your forward visibility a little. Headlights are the only part of your vehicle that oncoming drivers can see at a distance. Don’t stop in the middle of a roadway either — that guarantees you’ll be rear-ended. If you can’t continue, pull well onto the shoulder, getting your vehicle completely off the road.

Use the left edge of the road (aka fog line) as a guide rather than the center line, to avoid running into oncoming traffic or becoming distracted by their headlights. Think about what other drivers see when they’re behind you. If you drive with your emergency flashers on or keep tapping your brake pedal, you’ll make them nervous and they may try and pass you, a procedure that places both your lives in danger. Always use your defroster and windscreen wipers in foggy conditions and remember that the problems of fog driving become greater at night.

Stepped-up traffic monitoring, police enforcement, or roadway design cannot prevent crashes in poor visibility. More consideration should be given to closing down major highways shrouded in thick fog, just as they’re currently closed when a blizzard occurs. Even though most drivers slow down to some degree, the big problem is getting everyone to drive at a safe, constant speed.

The best advice we can give to drivers confronted with thick fog is to get off the road as soon as possible. If you can’t or won’t pull off the road we offer the following advice:

Keep your minimum safety gap to three seconds in ideal conditions; with the decreased visibility fog causes, this interval should be increased substantially.

Slow down. Most fog-related traffic fatalities occur because someone was driving too fast and couldn’t stop in time to avoid a collision.

Make sure that you can be seen. Turn on your fog lights, and use low beams. High beams direct light up into the fog making it difficult for you to see. Low beams direct light down onto the road and help other drivers to see you.

If you leave the road, be sure to pull off completely. Turn off your driving lights and turn on your flashers so others know you’re there but won’t think you are driving on the road.

Always use your defroster and windscreen wipers in foggy conditions to keep the windows clear.

Keep an eye on your speedometer and maintain a slow, constant speed.

Remember that other drivers have a limited sight distance and that fog can leave roadways slick. Signal early, and when you use your brakes, don’t stomp on them.

Drive safe this winter!

Swapnil Garg

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Firstly I Would like to thank you for coming to my first blog. Each Blog will be based towards the motor trade and in most cases specifically towards body repairs.

One thing I found between friends and new customers is that there is a big grey area around body repairs, people are not sure what is actually involved and how you can make a bashed up piece of metal look nice and beautiful again. There is a lot of work behind the scenes and with my blogs I am going to try and show you them.

With this first blog I thought I would cover one of the most asked questions, I have split this over two blogs as there are quite few factors. I have not gone into too much detail as don’t want to bore you with my first blog.

So …Why is car body repairs so expensive. There are a number of factors for this. To get your car repaired it’s not a simple process. There are a number of procedures that you have to do to get to the end product. Below are some pointers:

Cost of materials

Techniques used for repair (labour rate)

Blending

Reasons for top coat

Time of repair

One of the big reasons for high prices in body repairs, is the cost of materials. This mainly includes your paint, lacquer, sanding discs, primer, filler, masking, polishing. Even for a small scratch you will have to use most of these items.

There are some jobs that will require technique; by this I mean some dents will be required to be pulled out, filled, shaped to the car and sanded off. This takes time and skill to get it right. Labour is probably the biggest contributor to the price. To get that factory finish its all about the prep work. As what someone said to me the other day, any tom dick and harry can spray, but it’s the prep and attention to fine detail that is the most important part. This you only get by experience, as not all cars are the same. The processes of doing the work is the same, but you get obstacles during the way, such as how to deal when there is a paint reaction etc.

Bodyshops in general have different labour rates, my advice to you is to get different quotes and go for the middle one, which in most cases is us at Peterborough Body Repair. People with the lowest quotes are not always the best option, reason why is the materials they use will be not so good and will affect the quality of the paintwork.

When it comes to the topcoats/clearcoats… i.e lacquer, this is probably one of the most expensive items from the materials list. Today’s modern factory finishes not only incorporate multiple layers of highly specialised paints, but also in sealants, or clear coat, that car makers put on top of paint.

Clear coat is instrumental in protecting your vehicle’s paint from the sun’s harmful ultraviolet rays as well as from dirt, salt and a variety of chemicals.

Automotive finishing is one of the most important stages and your car’s paint combined with its sealants are important for not only protecting your car, but your car’s value.